Meet the Co-Founders
Angela and Cory,
CRS Co-Founders
In 2007 Cory Pederson and Angela Pederson-Calvin founded the "North Oregon Coast Youth Symphony" that would become the Columbia River Symphony. Cory has been the sole conductor of the Columbia River Symphony for the past fourteen years. Before that Angela and Cory were co-conductors. Both are talented and beloved musical educators for the communities along the North Oregon Coast.
Cory Pederson, CRS Conductor
For over a decade Cory led the music program for the Jewell School District located out in the coast range of Seaside, Oregon, off of Highway 103. He taught concert band 5-12th grade, with an Oregon State awarded high school ensemble, and general music kindergarten through 4th grade. Cory now works as the interim superintendent for Jewell School District.
Cory is also the conductor of the Little Ballet Theater Orchestra, which performs for the Nutcracker ballet each year in Astoria, Oregon. He is also continuing his appointed position as the conductor with the North Oregon Coast Symphony and their newly titled North Coast Chamber Orchestra based out of Cannon Beach, Oregon.
Prior experiences has had Cory working with ensembles in five different school settings and performances with multiple school and community groups over the last fifteen+ years. Previous symphony work had him performing with the Vancouver Symphony and the IWASH (Idaho Washington) Symphony. Previous ensemble work with his main instrument, the trumpet, has included performances with the North Coast Big Band, North Oregon Coast Symphonic Band, Astoria Chamber Players, and the North Oregon Coast Symphony.
“After all these years, the vision is still the same, to take the music out from classrooms and homes, and bring it to everyone in the community,” - Cory